Diver in a tree? How can that be?

Did you hear about the scuba diver that was found in the tree?

Apparently, fire authorities in California found a corpse in a tree in a burned-out section of forest.

The dead male was in a wetsuit, complete with tank, flippers and mask. Autopsy showed death was due to massive internal injuries, not burns.

And, most interestingly, friends said the victim had been diving in an area of the ocean the same day where fire helicopters had filled their buckets to fight a forest fire.

Well, if you believe this, you're a complete idiot!

According to www.snopes.com , this urban tale has been around since 1987, reported in California and France, and continues to exist without any shred of valid evidence.

Snopes.com also reports the largest helibuckets (also called Bambi buckets), which hold thousands of gallons of water, have only a one-foot intake ring with 10 radiating arms in the bucket.

Water release is regulated by a solenoid valve controlling a small, approximate 6-inch-by-6-inch opening.

Helitankers, choppers with a fixed tank, suck up water through a hose with very small holes and the intakes on water bomber planes are protected by grills.

Even Mythbusters has exposed this far-fetched scuba scenario.

Jamie and Adam built their own propeller-powered bucket capable of sucking 3,000 gallons of water per minute.

The bucket was suspended by a crane over a swimming pool. The dummy diver (real dummy, not a diver) was never pulled out of the pool successfully

Once the bucket was pulled from the water, it lost its suction and dropped the dummy.

Readers who have nothing else to do during days of unhealthy air quality can go to www.firediving.com to read about Fire Diving International, a tongue-in-cheek group which discusses fire diving team competitions, equipment, classes and events.

The website, on a more serious note, offers a complete debunking of the scuba diver in a tree myth.